Distribution of cadmium in the cockle (Katelysia scalarina) in Princess Royal Harbour, Albany, Western Australia

The study was aimed to assess the distribution of cadmium in the body tissu e of the cockle (Katelysia scalarina) from the Princess Royal Harbour (PRH) , Albany, Western Australia. The samples of cockle were collected from the north-west, west, and south-west ends of PRH in summer, autumn, winter, and spring in the period of 1992. Sixty cockles in total were collected by han d from the intertidal zone at the three selected sites for each season, and they were used to determine the level of cadmium in the tissue of the cock le. The graphite tube atomizer spectrometry (GT 95-VARIAN) was used for the determination of cadmium in the samples and the standard additions method was applied to all samples. The amount of cadmium in different tissues was expressed as the percentage of total body cadmium. The results of the study showed that the gills of the cockle were found to have higher levels of ca dmium (35.0% +/- 3.8%) than the other three tissue studied and the adductor muscle was the lowest (18.8% +/- 2.9%). Significant interaction between se ason and site on the tissue distribution suggests that tissue levels may be affected by monthly variations in environmental factors that is influencin g the organism' metabolism. The accumulation of cadmium in the tissue of th e cockle showed potential for use as a heavy metal indicator. (C) 2000 by J ohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.